What makes a conservative?

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http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_bowles/19990629_xclbo_what_makes.shtml

What makes a conservative?

) 1999 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

The political season is under way, and the fun and games have begun. Those who follow politics as a hobby or as a bad habit will soon be immersed in discussions of the pros and cons of old issues cross-dressed as new ones, including but not limited to abortion, education, school vouchers, social security, national defense, taxes, budgets, welfare, immigration, affirmative action, campaign reform, the environment, crime, violence and morality.

A few new questions will be intermingled with unresolved old ones. Is our country headed in the right direction? Do polls need to be regulated? What is the right relationship between state and religion? Will New York State elect an abused wife from Arkansas to the U.S Senate? What will be Bill Clinton's legacy? Can Al Gore survive a separation at the hip from Bill Clinton? Is George W. Bush a real conservative?

Before we get lost in such matters as these, let's probe a little deeper than is our custom. Rather than content ourselves with the nuggets lying around on the surface, let's mine deeper to discover major veins of political wisdom, insight and philosophy.

George W. Bush has given us a place to start digging by using the term "compassionate conservative." It is obvious that he is attempting to overcome the stereotype of conservatives as being intolerant and uncaring. He says he is also trying to provoke a discussion of what conservatism actually is.

That's a good place to start. What is a conservative? What do conservatives think and believe that differentiates them from others? Let's see if we can unearth the mother lode underlying those questions.

In his masterful book, "The March of Freedom," Heritage Foundation President Edwin J. Feulner gives us a clear view into the hearts and minds of the individuals who played major roles in shaping modern conservative thought.

One of these individuals was Russell Kirk, whose classic political book, "The Conservative Mind," was published in 1953. Feulner described Kirk as "... the conscience of the conservative movement. Perhaps more than anyone in our century, he revitalized conservative thought, galvanized its adherents into forming a movement, and restored its intellectual respectability."

In his book "The Power of Ideas," Lee Edwards summarizes the six canons that Kirk used to describe the essence of modern conservatism:

"(1) A divine intent, as well as personal conscience, rules society." This is not a trite platitude. In Kirk's own words, "political problems, at bottom, are religious and moral problems." Kirk understood the concept of original sin. The outcome of every human life, the destiny of every nation and the ultimate survival of the human race is determined by the outcome of the battle between good and evil.

"(2) Traditional life is filled with variety and mystery while most radical systems are characterized by a narrowing uniformity." He meant, of course, that human uniformity is not a natural condition, and requires the use of force to achieve. Imposed uniformity stifles creative thought, deadens the sense of wonderment, and imprisons the human spirit. It is a neo-liberal thing.

"(3) Civilized society requires orders and classes." Nobody expressed the thought better than U.S. educator Felix E. Schelling, who said, "True education makes for inequality; the inequality of individuality, the inequality of success, the glorious inequality of talent, of genius; for inequality, not mediocrity, individual superiority, not standardization, is the measure of the progress of the world."

"(4) Property and freedom are inseparably connected." The communist revolutionaries Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels agree. In the Communist Manifesto, they wrote, "The theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property." American liberalism, that is to say, socialism, allows individuals to hold title to private property, but the government holds control.

"(5) Man must control his will and his appetite, knowing that he is governed more by emotion than by reason." Kirk understood that if individuals do not bridle their own behavior, power-hungry government bureaucrats will happily do it for them. Conservatives are unified around the idea of individual freedom and self-control, while liberals are unified around the idea of human helplessness and government control.

"(6) Society must alter slowly." Kirk understood the value of the learning curves of civilization as reflected in tradition, custom and prescription. The distilled wisdom of the past deserves respect.

Kirk's profound ideas and admonitions have become a part of that distilled wisdom. I believe he would agree with the thought that if we made the effort to comprehend the underlying political principles and spiritual values that generated our Constitution and gave birth to what was to become the greatest triumph of collective human effort in the history of the world, we would be better positioned to ask the kind of questions we need to ask of those who want to lead us.

WorldNetDaily contributor Linda Bowles is a nationally syndicated columnist. She and her husband, Warren, have one daughter, Michelle, and live on a ranch situated on the western slope of the California Sierras.



-- Mike (midwestmike_@hotmail.com), June 29, 1999

Answers

Linda Bowles is the finest writer on the face of the planet.

See more of her stuff at:

http://www.newsmax.com/commentsby.shtml?byline=Linda_Bowles

-- rick blaine (y2kazoo@hotmail.com), June 29, 1999.


We must live on a very small planet...

-- Y2K Pro (2@641.com), June 29, 1999.

["(2) Traditional life is filled with variety and mystery while most radical systems are characterized by a narrowing uniformity." He meant, of course, that human uniformity is not a natural condition, and requires the use of force to achieve. Imposed uniformity stifles creative thought, deadens the sense of wonderment, and imprisons the human spirit. It is a neo-liberal thing."]

HAW HAW HAW HO HO HOOO HOOOOOOOWEEEEEEEE! ROTFLMAO!

That's a good one! And who is the major force behind the idea that we should all behave like good little Christians and not smoke pot, nor visit hookers, nor gamble, or any of the other verboten consensual activities that displease "Conservatives" enough to risk jail time?

Why, it's those "Conservatives"!

OH golly! That's funny, I gotta go pee now!

-- Unc D (unkeed@yahoo.com), June 29, 1999.


What makes a conservative? Well, it would be nice if conservatism really meant wanting to conserve or save something of value for the general good. But, as the word seems to apply to actual people I know or observe, here are some of the traits that you'll need to nurture in order to be deemed a good conservative:

- Selfishness. Look out for #1; all these other people are just losers. - Self-righteousness. Your beliefs and way of life are clearly correct; those who disagree with you need to overcome their ignorance and conform to your ideals. - Bigotry. How can you be expected to live among all these wierdos and perverts who can't even understand English, and who practice unnatural acts and worship false gods? Something needs to be done about them. - Ignorance. There are lots of useful mantras, but here's one that should serve you well: "Guns don't kill people." Also, I would recommend reading the collected speeches of J. Danforth Quayle.

But, the very most important qualification for becoming a staunch conservative is that you be an unabashed toady--or better yet, a wanton slut--for the rich and powerful.

Now, lest some of you misunderstand me, I will point out that my estimation of most self-proclaimed liberals is not a whole lot more favorable. But, hey, I don't want to stray off-topic. Now what aspect of Y2K were we discussing?

-- Peter Harlan (pharlan@efn.org), June 29, 1999.


A conservative is a liberal who's been mugged. Hey Unc. D, it's not only people who claim to be good little Christians that will lock you up.The drugs and crime and economy and classes are exploited by people without a working conscious on both ends of the spectrum.They also exploit and manipulate people into taking sides so as to keep em busy.

-- KoFE (your@town.USA), June 29, 1999.


It was the conservatives who supported the hideous Vietnam War, when Ho chi Minh was the Geo. Washington of his people who obviously supported him overwhelmingly. Vietnam is doing relatively well today. Now the conservatives are grousing when we intervene to stop the true Serbian Horror and the butcher Milosevic. The y2k link is that when the dust settles and we survivors need each other and need to care for the Earth what's going to happen? Is Mike going to start up a sawmill to buzz down the last of our trees to make a fortune, buy up land, build a chem plant and dump the wastes in the river? I mean this is freedom and the right to possess the earth...conservative mantras. Is Mike going to kill me since I don't believe in Jesus? We are all going to have to operate on a much higher plane and the traditional conservative values just won't cut it.

-- Sand Mueller (smueller@azalea.net), June 29, 1999.

Peter -- Unfortunately, there is too much truth in your comments (said by someone who aspires to be a worthy conservative). But remember what Churchill said,

"Anyone under the age of 20 who isn't a liberal doesn't have a heart."

"Anyone over the age of 40 who isn't a conservative doesn't have a brain."

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), June 29, 1999.


a conservative is someone who likes to save things, like whales and string.

-- Marxists (hangthem@high.allofem), June 29, 1999.

Marxist:????????? Big Dog: that would describe me to a tee! Thanks. NOW, for the rest....it's high time we begin acting like Americans. United we stand, devided we fall. My personal view of the biggest difference would be that conservatives act in the best interest of 'the country' and liberals act in the best interests of 'individuals'. I realize this is overly simplistic (duh) but it's only as complicated as one wishes to make it be. They both have their good and bad points. Let's find the best of both and rebuild the disgusting mess that has been created through manipulation and greed on BOTH sides. If the country collapses, we ALL go down the tubes with it! AND I believe most Americans, who have the best interest of THEIR COUNTRY in mind would agree that the Pres...Pre.....PRE.SI..DENTTT (whewww that was tough) needs to be castrated and repeatedly burned by a lit cigar until suffering a fatal heart attack...this must be achieved before we proceed with the rebuilding. I have a BIC.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 29, 1999.

WFB always liked this one: "If a man is not a liberal when he is young, he has no heart. If he is not a conservative when he is old, he has no brain".

www.y2ksafeminnesota.com

-- MinnesotaSmith (y2ksafeminnesota@hotmail.com), June 29, 1999.



Thats it people. Keep the devisions. Keep the faith.

One of my favorite lines from a conservative administration:

"The law we can get around, the Constitution will just take a little longer."

--Henry Kissinger

conservatives- too far to the right of the constitution

liberals- too far to the left

middle- the least supported veiw, but largest held

can u say civil war?

-- R. Wright (blaklodg@hotmail.com), June 30, 1999.


OHHH you bet. I feel it more and more each day. Clinton has managed to devide this country right down the middle. Unfortunately, the majority of his supporters will be hit the hardest. He has abandoned them worse than the rest of us. Pitchforks will be the least of his concerns. The boys with the fire power hate him as much as I do....possibly more, can't really imagine how. He's going down. That reminds me, I keep forgetting to pick up some 'horn in a can'....and confetti, we'll be needing lots of confetti and balloons.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 30, 1999.

If conservatives have the best interests of "the country" at heart, then why the hell are they always willing to be pimps for corporations, who also claim to be conservatives, while systematically exploiting and polluting "the country." They certainly know nothing about conserving.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), June 30, 1999.

You're right gilda. However, abortion ain't much of a 'conservation tactic' either, to be honest. Shall we discuss the Liberal view on Women's rights and their disgusting support of President-Pulsating- Prick?

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 30, 1999.

Ohhh please gilda....let's. This IS just one of MY favorite topics.

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 30, 1999.


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